Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-06-02
TOM AND DICK.
A Little Story of the Last of q Numerous
Family.

-
day when the door-screen happened to
stand open. The baby's mamma
thought them only five. but grandmama
was sure there were seven, and am
inclined to agree with her; for in
matter of flies, you have always noticed
there are likely to be a good many
rather than few. And if any one
should say there are one hundred and
fifty trying to get into the kitchen
while the dinner is cooking, you may
be pretty sure there are one hundred
and sixty-one at least. So the baby's
grandma was undoubtedly right.
and Tom and Dick were not the last Of
five flies but of seven; and yet have
doubt as to whether there may not
have been ten of them at first or may
be twelve. At any rate they had all
disappeared but these two, and it was
now the last of December. The morn
ing was cold and Tom and Dick sat by
the CRATE, on the rack that held the
baby's clothes. They were very fond
of the baby in their way, and liked
nothing better than travelling over her
fat cheeks or tickling the end OF
her little pug nose. She did not
like them at all, but they did
not stop to worry about that. When
she struck out for them, her fat fist was
a good deal more likely to 60 into one
of her own blue eyes than to hit either
of her troublesome admirers, and they
usually flew away without a brush
This morning she was sound asleep.
Her milk bottle lay in the foot OF the
crib, and Dick thought he would like
get at least smell of it; so he flew
around and around hunting for a place
to let him in. But the baby's mother
had spread big net over baby, crib,
bottle and all, and Dick could not lind
place that would much more than let
his nose through. So he finally gave
up the matter, and went to look out OF
the window. It was showing fast, and
the brown leaves that were left on the
trees seemed to be scared. and it was
SO cold. Such weather made Dick feel
dismal, and he flew back to the rack
before the fire to see Tom; and then 1t
struck him all of sudden that Tom
| looked queer. His head seemed loose
and about to fall off; his wings looked
faded and dropping and his eyes were
dull.
..Why, Tom, old fellow, what's the
matterP'' said Dick. But Tom did not
answer.
II say, Tom!'' called Dick again.
The baby could not have heard him
if she had been broad awake, nor the
baby's mother if she had been there
but Dick knew what he said. and Ton
knew this time; for pretty soon he an
swered slowly: s.
Il am very sleepy and his voice
was faint, and sounded to Dick as II i
were long way off-as if it had got
away from Tom and gone up the chin
ney or outside the door, or into. tn,
bottom of the baby's bottle-he could
not keep the baby's bottle out OF his
head.
"Well, should think so,'' said Dick
briskly, as he shook out his wings
"Why don't you hold up your head
and stir around bit, and be re
spectacle fiy?'
1T is very late and cold, )" said Tom
slowly, as before, and again his voic
sounded as if it were away off by II
self somewhere. Dick laughed. bu
YOU couldn't have heard him if he ha
been tickling your nose at that yer
minute.
.sCold enough, that's fact. BIZ
late? Why. it's early in the morning.
"Iknow a good place to go to slee
in.' said Tom, nodding his head sti
lower.
..Well. you're-you're just prepo
terous,'' said Dick. You needn
bother yourself about going to SLEEP
old fellow. You're fast asleep nov
You'd better go and hunt up yo'
voice and see if you can't make son
!, use of it. Bye, bye" and Dick sprea
his wings and merrily flew away.
A vase with q tea rose in it stood G
3 table in the sitting-room and
, stopped a moment to examine that. 81
|; the rose didn't taste so good as
smelled and he went on to the dinin:
room. He liked good things and swe
things, and didn't care much abo
any thing else; and the next day Il
cook found Dick dead in jelly-po
which IS exactly what you might ha'
: expected.
But Tom made his way to pilot
graph of Raphaers Fourth Hour
the Night" which hung on the sittin
room wall, and tucked himself into
big knot in the cord behind the pictu
and went fast asleep. He slept mu
t more soundly than the baby did,
9 she walked quite often and laugh
: and talked, or cried. Dick couldi
@ have reused him this time ii he h
$ been there to try. The room
y swept aud the picture busted M
4 and then all winter. and the Pc
$ pie of the house talked a
!. laughed and were busy about tn
n work, and company came and we
Q and the wind sometimes howled as
t chased the snow past the windows,
8 Tom knew nothing about it. After
3 while the snow came less and less of
! and the sun stayed longer each di
e and pretty soon Tom somehow felt
+ sunshine all through him, and
reused himself and came out OF